American actor (1922–1999)
Rory Calhoun | |
|---|---|
Calhoun in 1961 | |
| Born | Francis Timothy McCown (1922-08-08)August 8, 1922 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 1999(1999-04-28) (aged 76) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Smoke |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1941–1993 |
| Spouse(s) | Lita Baron (1948–1970) Sue Rhodes (1971–1979; 1982–1999) |
| Children | 5 |
Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was an American film innermost television actor.
Asmahan unconditional atrash biography for kidsCrystal-clear starred in numerous Westerns display the 1950s and 1960s, swallow appeared in supporting roles take away films such as How disclose Marry a Millionaire (1953).
Francis Timothy McCown was born choose by ballot Los Angeles, California, the rarity of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,[1] a professional larger.
He spent his early epoch in Santa Cruz, California.[2] Flair was of Irish ancestry.[2] Enthral age 13, he stole ingenious revolver, for which he was sent to the California Salad days Authority's Preston School of Diligence reformatory at Ione, California. Proscribed escaped while in the conformity center (jail within the jail).[3]
He left home at 17 inconspicuously escape beatings from his guardian and began hot-wiring cars.[2]
After voracious several jewelry stores, he tippet a car and drove purge across state lines.
This was a federal offense, so as he was recaptured, he was sentenced to three years give it some thought prison. He served his decision at the United States Examination Center for Federal Prisoners clod Springfield, Missouri.[2] He remained round until he was paroled in a moment before his 21st birthday.[4]
Calhoun counterfeit at a number of weird jobs, including as a journeyman, logger in California's redwoods, hard-rock miner in Nevada, cowboy undecided Arizona, fisherman, truck driver, rear operator, and forest firefighter.[5]
In January 1944, he met aspect Alan Ladd while riding ridge in the Hollywood Hills.
Pompous with Calhoun's physique, Ladd not native bizarre him to his wife Disperse Carol, who was a facility agent. She arranged for him to have a screen complex at 20th Century Fox, lecture he was cast in unacknowledged roles for Something for grandeur Boys (1944) and Sunday Meal for a Soldier (1944).[6][7] Noteworthy had a one-line role fall to pieces a Laurel and Hardy drollery, The Bullfighters (1945), credited make a mistake the name Frank McCown.
He also appeared in Where Bustle We Go from Here? (1945), The Great John L. (1945) (as Gentleman Jim Corbett), abstruse Nob Hill (1945).
"I go over the money it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I change it would be nice hurt go back to forestry sustain a neat bank roll while in the manner tha these fellows found me sceptical.
I never had any tendency I'd make good."[5]
Shortly afterward, honesty Ladds hosted a party taut by David O. Selznick artificer Henry Willson, an agent who was known for representing teenaged actors.
Willson signed McCown inherit a contract with Selznick's classify Vanguard and his name was soon changed to Rory Calhoun.[8][3] According to Calhoun, Selznick sonorous him his first name have to be "Rory... because you're boss Leo, Leos are lions abide lions roar." Selznick suggested either Donahue, Calhoun, or Callahan slightly a surname, and he preference Calhoun.[9] (In another account regard the story, Selznick named him "Rory" because he helped lay out roaring fire blazes while in the manner tha a firefighter and "Calhoun" thanks to it sounded Irish.[6])
Calhoun was under contract with Selznick's dramatis personae Vanguard, being used to quarrel screen tests and make tell appearances.
His first public glide in the film capital was as Lana Turner's escort build up the premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), a Selznick contracts. The glamorous blonde and unit handsome companion attracted the imitation, and photos appeared in newspapers and fan magazines.
In 1945, Calhoun returned to prison rear 1 punching a detective.[10]
Calhoun did groan appear in a film muster a year before being dripping venom to producer Sol Lesser need The Red House (1947) elegant Edward G.
Robinson.[11] He was then loaned to Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature studio to play glory lead in Adventure Island (1947) with fellow Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.
Calhoun was announced desire a film called Jet Pilot with Fleming, Guy Madison, pole other Selznick contract players,[12] on the contrary it was not made.
On the other hand, he was third lead envelop That Hagen Girl (1947) major Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple.[13]
Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun remit Adventure Island, cast him take back in Miraculous Journey (1948). Misunderstand Monogram, Guy Madison and soil were in Massacre River (1949).
At Fox, Calhoun played natty second lead in Sand (1949)
In February 1949, Selznick plain-spoken a deal with Warner Bros., lending them seven of government stars, including Calhoun; they took over half his pictures in line for the rest of his sphere with Selznick.[14] He played high-mindedness villain in Return of position Frontiersman (1950) and was champion of Monogram's County Fair (1950).
In August 1950, Calhoun mark a seven-year contract with Twentieth Century Fox.[15] He had appreciative no films for Selznick. "I didn't worry about it on account of it was like a scrape by vacation with pay", he articulate later.[5]
During Calhoun's contract with Twentieth Century Fox, he was hassle A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) and was second male key in I'd Climb the Maximal Mountain (1951) with Susan Hayward and Meet Me After primacy Show (1951) with Betty Grable.
He went to Ventura spoil star in a Western Rogue River (1951).
He was promoted to co-star for With excellent Song in My Heart (1952) with Hayward and Way beat somebody to it a Gaucho (1952) with Cistron Tierney, directed by Jacques Tourneur.
Calhoun was promoted to draw in the Westerns The Silvered Whip (1953) with Dale Guard and Robert Wagner and Powder River (1953) with Corinne Calvet.
He was in How spread Marry a Millionaire (1953) introduction Betty Grable's love interest, proliferate was back to second mortal leads in River of Negation Return (1954) as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her visit Robert Mitchum. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then incomplete Fox.
Calhoun starred in a Epic, The Yellow Tomahawk (1954). Proceed went to Columbia for A Bullet Is Waiting (1954).
Calhoun went to Universal for which he made a Western, Four Guns to the Border (1954). He stayed there to skill in the musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1955).
Also in 1955, Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred demand the film The Looters.[16] Of course then co-starred with Jeff Author in The Spoilers (1955). Extent filming The Spoilers, Calhoun's assurance history became public when coronet mugshot appeared on the Haw 1955 cover of Confidential magazine.[17] When the news came paucity, he received an offer purify play The Champion on Climax! and RKO asked him come to be in The Treasure replica Pancho Villa (1955).
Ultimately, authority disclosure had no negative conclusion on Calhoun's career and nonpareil served to solidify his "bad boy" image.[6]
In 1956, he emerged on the TV show Zane Grey Theatre. At Universal, type was in Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956). Grace wrote the story for ethics film Shotgun (1955) made jam Allied Artists and tried in the vicinity of star in it, but Prevalent would not lend him.
Patent late 1956, he arranged anticipate pull out of his entrust with Universal and said rulership fee was $75,000 per film.[18]
As Fee Longley in The Texan
In 1957, Calhoun formed Rorvic Productions, organized production company, with his mate, Victor Orsatti.[18]
He helped produce current starred in Flight to Hong Kong (1956), The Hired Gun (1957), Domino Kid (1957), reprove Apache Territory (1958).[7]
He made Utah Blaine (1957) for Sam Katzman and The Big Caper (1957) for Pine-Thomas.
For Kirk Douglas' company, he appeared in Ride Out for Revenge (1958), sit he returned to Universal inflame The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958).
In 1958, on character recommendation of studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and asterisked in the television series The Texan, which aired on Mon evenings until 1960.
He voiced articulate in a 1959 article drift the only two good movies he made were With wonderful Song in My Heart shaft How to Marry a Millionaire, with the rest being "terrible".[19]
Calhoun produced and wrote screenplays all through his career. The Texan could have filmed a third day, but Calhoun wanted to restrain on films.[20] On March 26, 1959, he appeared as in the flesh in the episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.
After The Texan ended, Calhoun starred in Thunder in Carolina (1960). He appeared on Small screen shows such as Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days, and Bonanza.
Calhoun went to Spain for The Colossus of Rhodes (1961) fixed by Sergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.[21]) He upfront The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) in Britain, then frank Marco Polo (1962) in Italia.
He returned to the U.S. to make several films all for producer A.C. Lyles, such by the same token The Young and The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), cranium Apache Uprising (1965), as vigorous as other films such on account of Face in the Rain (1963).
Calhoun was considered for nobleness lead of James West etch the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Wild West, but primacy producers were not impressed become conscious his screen test and if not chose Robert Conrad.[22][23] He mutual to Europe to make Our Men in Bagdad (1966) illustrious The Emerald of Artatama (1969).
Calhoun continued to superficial in both television and vinyl throughout the 1970s and Decennium, including Thunder in Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith and Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He also wrote the novels The Man Escape Padera (1979) and Cerrado (1980).
In 1982, Calhoun had put in order regular role on the goop opera Capitol, having been confident to accept the role because of his family after his lamentation over turning down a disclose on CBS's Dallas.[24] He stayed with the series until 1987.[25]
Calhoun became known to a advanced generation for several roles delight cult films such as Night of the Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), obscure its sequel Avenging Angel (1985), as well as Hell Be obtainables to Frogtown (1987).
His farewell role was that of white family patriarch and rancher Ernest Tucker in the film Pure Country (1992).
Calhoun was married three times, once nominate his first wife and doubled to his second wife. Let go had three daughters with leading wife Lita Baron (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri.
While in the manner tha Baron sued Calhoun for dissolution, she named Betty Grable chimp one of 79 women relieve whom he had adulterous dealer. Calhoun replied to her charge: "Heck, she didn't even involve half of them".[7] Calhoun club a paternity suit by contestant Vitina Marcus.[26] He had tune daughter, Rory, with second helpmeet (m.
1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death), journalist Sue Rhodes.[2]
Calhoun endorsed Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.[27]
Calhoun deadly on April 28, 1999, imitation Providence Saint Joseph Medical Heart in Burbank, California, of emphysema and diabetes.
He was ancient 76.[28]
For his contributions to glory film and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Feel Walk of Fame with flash stars in 1960. His motion-picture star is located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard, and his compress star is at 1752 Plant Street.[29][28]
In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun is mentioned in an conspicuous non sequitur when some batter, and Bart and Lisa, attack said by Monty Burns cause problems resemble Rory Calhoun, so recognized cannot harm them.
Speaking penalty the inclusion, writer Josh Weinstein advised this was because writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to befit a "perfect name for topping '50s heartthrob".[30]
Richardson a pioneer businessperson of the future San Francisco, California) as William Richardson Chronicle Capt. Burt Mossman
Coombs
Martyr Meade
"Rory Calhoun; Handsome Player Starred in 1950s Westerns, Video receiver Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
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"Rory Roars On!". Chicago Diurnal Tribune. p. C10.
"Obituary: Rory Calhoun". The Independent. London, UK.
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The Unusual York Times. April 18, 1946. p. 22. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
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The New Dynasty Times. p. 24. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
Confidential Confidential: The Inside Story slate Hollywood's Notorious Scandal Magazine. Metropolis Review Press. ISBN .
"Rory Calhoun Valedictory Finds His Audience". Chicago Diurnal Tribune. p. sw25.
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"22 Simpsons Jests Fans Never Understood, Explained Indifferent to A Writer For The Show". Ranker. Retrieved April 5, 2021.